Hundreds of masked individuals identifying with the Patriot Front, a white nationalist group, marched through Washington, D.C. on July 4, displaying Confederate flags during the nation's 250th Independence Day celebration. The group was seen traveling on the DC Metro, with one image capturing a Black woman appearing apprehensive as masked men occupied seats around her.
The demonstrators chanted "Reclaim America" as they proceeded from Union Station, according to a video posted on X by WTOP reporter Mitchell Miller. Law enforcement and some National Guard members were present at the event. The Metropolitan Police Department stated they were monitoring the "First Amendment activities" and are committed to public safety.
The Patriot Front was founded by Thomas Rousseau following the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where counterprotester Heather Heyer was killed. The group previously appeared in Washington in January during the March for Life rally, carrying upside-down American flags.
In June 2022, over 30 Patriot Front members, including Rousseau, were arrested in Idaho and charged with inciting a riot during a planned protest of a Pride parade. The group was later ordered to pay $2.7 million to a Black saxophonist assaulted during a 2022 demonstration in Boston.
In 2020, the Patriot Front distributed banners and flyers in New York City. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the group advocates for a "hard reset on the nation" and a return to traditional values, envisioning America as an ethnostate for white people. The Anti-Defamation League also claims the Patriot Front is responsible for the "vast majority" of white supremacist propaganda distributed in the United States.